Red, blue, and yellow baby items spilled out of basket after basket near the church entrance. The South Bend Christ Child Society was having its annual spring Mass, followed by a member meeting and luncheon. This year, St. Thérèse, Little Flower Catholic Church in South Bend hosted the Mass on Wed nesday, March 26, with Bishop Rhoades celebrating and Little Flower pastor Father Julius Okojie assisting. In accord with the readings for the day, Bishop Rhoades preached on the old law of the Old Testament and how it applies to Christians. He cautioned the attending members against antinomianism, a heresy that rejects the moral law “embedded in the law of Moses” and which the bishop said is prevalent in our society today. He remembered having an interaction with a man who said he didn’t think it necessary to examine his conscience using the Ten Commandments. Photos by Kasia BalsbaughMembers of the South Bend Christ Child Society sing together at the beginning of their spring Mass at St. Thérèse, Little Flower Catholic Church on Wednesday, March 26. “The man responded to me that St. Paul taught that if we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the law,” Bishop Rhoades said. “I explained to him that St. Paul was talking about our interior freedom, that if we are truly led by the Spirit, we would be obeying the moral laws expressed in the Ten Commandments. Our freedom in Christ is not license to do whatever we want in the name of love.” Bishop Rhoades pointed out that Jesus said He came to fulfill the old law, not to abolish it, and tied this into Lent and works of charity. “Isn’t that what the Lenten season is all about?” Bishop Rhoades said. “The practices are external: prayer, fasting, almsgiving – they all come from the Old Testament. But there’s something new: our interior life that’s involved in doing these things, doing these penitential practices. We’re not, as Jesus said, to do them to be seen by others, so that we’re ready to be praised. … Our penances are sterile if we don’t have interior repentance. And that’s a work of God’s grace. … We need the Lord to give us a new heart and new spirit.” Members of the South Bend Christ Child Society stand with baskets full of donated layettes. The volunteer-run Christ Child Society has been in South Bend since 1947 and has 47 chapters across the nation. The society was founded by Servant of God Mary Virginia Merrick in 1887. One common ministry across chapters is collecting layettes for babies to be distributed to mothers in need at crisis pregnancy centers, including Women’s Care Center, and local hospitals. For the spring Mass, each member brings a layette item to be blessed by the bishop – a tradition that happens on the national level of the organization as well as the local level. South Bend chapter co-president Melissa Baltz has been involved with the South Bend Christ Child Society since 2018 after her move to the area. She was attracted to their work, she said, because she was looking to be involved with a charity that helped children. “I was so impressed by everything they did and how organized it is,” Baltz said. Every other year, the South Bend chapter gives an award to a member who exemplifies the “spirit of giving and leadership,” as Baltz explained. This year, it went to Beth Barrett, who has been with the organization for 30-plus years and currently serves as its communications chair. Though Barrett has been helping with the society for decades, she said the tradition of the annual Mass has been going on long before her arrival. While volunteers don’t have to be Catholic or Christian, Barrett said their annual Mass reveals the spiritual element embedded in the organization. “We see Christ in every child,” Barrett said. Baltz noted that the South Bend chapter has served approximately 5,700 children in this fiscal year – 700 more children than last year. Demand is high, and Baltz reiterated that the organization doesn’t take funding from the diocese or the government, so individual volunteer work and donations are very necessary. “Every year, the need just grows,” Baltz said. Likewise, Barrett referred to the Christ Child Society as a “much-valued resource for parents.” “As the economy fluctuates and things become more difficult, we’re there for them no matter what,” Barrett said. “Even in the worst of times, we’ve always managed to raise enough money to buy clothes. It’s something we’ve found miraculous.” Members of the South Bend Christ Child Society are hosting their regular informational coffee session on Wednesday, April 23, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at their location in the Town and Country shopping center in Mishawaka. Visit christchildsb.org for more information. The post ‘Christ in Every Child’: South Bend Charity Celebrates at Mass appeared first on Today's Catholic. ...read more read less